4 Better or 4 Worse

I am fortunate to have many transgender friends who are some of the most vibrant, playful, and often sarcastic people I know. They joke, they laugh, and they share the same kind of humor. But beneath that humor, I see the quiet struggles they carry every day, which are struggles that too often go unnoticed by society. In the Philippines, transgender people, and many in the LGBTQIA+ community, are not truly accepted; they are tolerated, forced to navigate a world that neither fully sees nor fully acknowledges their humanity. This is something I refuse to accept, because I believe that every transgender individual, and every member of the LGBTQIA+ community, deserves more than mere tolerance. They deserve to take up space in a world where they are celebrated and recognized for who they truly are.

As a young filmmaker, my goal is to use this film to shed light on the harsh realities that many transgender individuals, particularly those from impoverished backgrounds, face every day. This is a story that needs to be told—the story of transgender individuals who fight not only for survival, but for dignity. They turn to beauty pageants and other competitions, seeking validation and a way to make ends meet. They endure the financial strain of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), often resorting to unregulated, cheaper alternatives, because proper medical care is simply out of reach. And above all, they constantly sacrifice their health, safety, and well-being in the hope of being accepted for who they are.

This film is inspired by the loss of a dear friend of mine who tragically passed away due to the complications of unregulated HRT during her transition. She wanted nothing more than to be accepted as a trans woman, and in her desperation to find a path to that acceptance, she turned to what she thought would help, only for it to take her life instead. While the film does not tell her exact story, it is her memory, her struggle, and her dreams of belonging that fuel this project.

In this film, I want her to live. I want her to defy the odds, to survive, and to revel in the beauty of her dream. I want this story to be our second chance to give, as friends, the unwavering support we should have given when she lay in that hospital bed.

This is not merely a film; it is a vision of the life that could have been, the dreams that might have soared, if only trans people had access to the healthcare they deserve and did not have to gamble with their very lives for the simple dignity of being accepted.

This is not just Jennifer’s story. It’s a story about what happens when survival becomes an act of defiance. It’s about chosen family, about friendship forged in fire. It’s about the trans community’s relentless fight for the right to exist, to be seen, to live without fear. It’s about the human cost of being denied access to healthcare, safety, and acceptance. It’s a love letter to every trans person who’s ever been told they don’t belong and a rallying cry for those who believe otherwise.